


A Sharper Image

by susanowa (panickyintheuk)



Series: Inconveniences Rightly Considered [5]
Category: Marvel Adventures (Comics), Marvel Adventures: Avengers, Marvel Adventures: Iron Man
Genre: Blind Date, Gen, Glasses, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 10:30:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7636687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/panickyintheuk/pseuds/susanowa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony needs a date for an event. Jan knows just the person! But what the hell is Steve's problem?</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Sharper Image

**Author's Note:**

> For bingo square O4, 'blind date'.
> 
> My posting schedule got all out of whack! Long week at work. So this is the first post of probably 4+ fics I'll be posting today?
> 
> Anyway, this is set during and shortly after MA:IM #13. You'll get the gist, even if you haven't read it.

"I wonder how Tony's date is going?" said Jan idly, flipping through the offerings on Netflix.

"What's that?" said Steve.

"Oh, Pepper asked me to find him a date for this charity gala tonight. _I_ would have gone with him, but then I found out my ex Paul was going to be there, and I just couldn't be doing with that, so I set him up with this woman, Whitney Frost? I don't know her very well, but she's been making waves all over town. Beautiful, stylish. I thought they might hit it off."

Steve took a deep breath. "I see," he said.

Jan turned to him. "What is this?" she asked, waving her hand in a circular gesture around his face. "What is this attitude I'm getting?"

"Are you serious?" said Steve flatly.

"Yes, I'm definitely getting a -- ooh, look at this one, it's a musical comedy," she said, choosing something with an ironic title.

Steve frowned and tried to concentrate.

**

It was Monday before he got to see Tony, and though he'd gone two days without seeing him plenty of times before, this particular weekend had felt an especially long one. He could have called Tony up and invited him someplace, maybe, but so far they had mostly kept things to casual weekday lunches, and this didn't feel like a good time to be pushing the envelope. Could he really have misunderstood everything? When he looked back on all their conversations, he had to reluctantly conclude that yes, he could have. It was his own fault, really -- he should have been clearer from the start. He'd never been much good at romance, and he'd never even attempted one with another man before. At least he'd know better next time, he thought gloomily, if things with Tony weren't what he hoped. It wasn't a comforting thought at all.

He stopped in a little earlier than usual on Monday -- early enough that Tony asked if he wouldn't mind waiting a little while for him to finish up before they headed out. He managed to stay quiet for a few minutes, but finally he couldn't help it.

"So," he said, "how was your date?"

He didn't even pretend to be casual about it, but Tony didn't really seem to pick up on it -- he had his feet up on the desk and was squinting at a blueprint. He should wear his glasses. For his eyes. "My what?"

"For the gala. Jan mentioned she set you up with someone."

Tony laughed. "Oh, yes, very nice. Very sophisticated. Turned out to be a crime boss, but..."

"She _what_?"

"Yeah. Would you call that a deal-breaker, do you think?"

"What the hell? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, Steve. You worry too much."

_You're right_ , thought Steve. _I care about you far more than is good for my health._

"You know," Tony added, "it wasn't a real date. I mean, these charity things -- you're expected to have somebody on your arm, you know? It's not some... grand romance or anything." He was looking at Steve properly now, with an earnest little wrinkle on his forehead.

Steve almost said that it was none of his business, but who was he kidding? "Right," he said.

Tony was wincing. "Look, I... have a reputation to maintain. As a lady's man. You understand what I mean?"

He was pretty sure he did. He didn't have to like it, though. "So people never go stag, huh? Or with a buddy?"

"Sure they do. If their carefully-crafted image allows. Or if they're lucky enough not to have to worry about a carefully-crafted image."

"And people can't choose to change their image, if they want to?"

Tony sighed. "It's not always up to them."

Steve thought back to his USO days. "I guess I... do know a little about that, actually. I just..." he made a helpless gesture.

"I know," said Tony. "I tell you what. How about I have a little talk with Pepper, see if we can make some tweaks to the old MO?"

Steve smiled. "Okay," he said. And then, because it seemed like today was a good day for getting his way, "put on your glasses."

"Hmm? I don't know where my glasses are."

"They're on the shelf behind you."

"Oh, jeez, fine," said Tony, putting them on and giving Steve a _happy now?_ look. Steve smiled wider.

"Why won't you wear them?" he asked. "Is it just vanity?"

"Oh, vanity and laziness," said Tony easily. "I hate taking them on and off and having to carry them around, and remembering which pair is which, and... what?"

"Nothing," said Steve, grinning. If there was one thing Tony wasn't, it was lazy. "Just funny. You should really wear them, though, you know. For your eyes."

"I should wear my glasses, for my eyes, huh?" Tony responded, narrowing said eyes. 

"Right," said Steve. "And, you know, as for vanity, you shouldn't worry about that. I think they suit you."

The smile Tony gave him was lopsided, half knowing and half pleased.

"So," said Steve, suddenly feeling a little warm, "where are we going for lunch?"

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I said it. He should wear his GLASSES for his EYES.
> 
> I know what you're thinking. What the hell, Jan? But she didn't know!! She was in the bath when they all talked about it, remember, and it hasn't come up with her since. Listen, Jan has her own life, okay?


End file.
